Thermostatic device



March 15, 1938.` F; C. LEONARD ET Ax. 2,110,884

THEBMOSTATIC DEVICE I Filed May 2l, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MJMJIIII intenteei Mar. lig, lg3d NETE@- mais@ frnnlsiuos'mm@ @EVEQUE Frederick C. leonard,

Cranston,

Ross, Providence, lit. ll.-

Adpplication lil/Hay 2li, 'lit-EZ?, itc. iil

6 Ciaiins.

Ourv present invention relates to thermostatic mixing regulators, and has particular reference to regulators for maintaining a desired temperature of flowing Water.

The principal object of our invention is to devise a thermostatic regulator of inexpensive construction, adapted to control iiuid `flows accurately,and capable of maintaining the temperature of the owing fluid substantially constant.

A further object of our invention is to design the mixing chamber and theow area so as to ensure adequate mixing o the hot and cold streams prior to contact with the thermostaticv element.

An additional object of our invention' is to devise valve constructions which are not changed` in setting by variations and relative differences in the pressures of the hot and cold fluids.

Another object of our invention is to pro-vide' `with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly dened in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the novel regulator; Fig. 2 is a view thereof with the front portion removed, showing the flow control valve;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the'li'ne 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is abottom View of the frontportion, showing the thermostatic coil;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the valve seat;

Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 6 on the line 'l--l; Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 6 on the line 8 8; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a modified construction of the valve and v'alve seat. Referring to the drawings, the improved regu- 45 lator comprises a front member i0 in which the thermostaticeleinent, the setting mechanism, and the valve operating mechanism are housed, and va back member l i in which the valve mechanism 0 is housed, both members being preferably cast of brass. The back and front members lhave annular machined flanges l2, I3 between which a 'packing I4 is positioned, the two members being secured-together' by screws or the-like i5 which 55 pass through suitable openings in the ange i3 and valve and screw threadedly or otherwise engage the flange i2.

As best shown in Fig. e, the back member has two inlets, it, lll threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded ends iii; it of inlet-conduits for uids of different temperatures. The incoming uids enter chambers ift, 2i in which cylindncal strainers 22, 23 are mounted, the' strainers being secured at the`r outer endsv to caps 22d, iti which'are threaded )in suitable openings in the ends of the chambers andare thus adapted to be readily removed for cleaning. The inner ends of the strainers engage the ends of bearing nipples 2li, 25 which are screw threadedly vmounted at the other ends of the chambers, and have recesses 2G, 2l which receive the ends of an inlet cylinder 2B which .as shown is provided with a partition 29 or the like to keep the entering fluids from mixing. The cold side of the inlet cylinder has three lateral ports 3&9, and the hot side hastwo lateral ports 3l, these ports being controlled by a slide valve 32,' having opposed conical faces 3d and a central groove tt for receiving the operating arm ofthe thermostatic control, as hereinafter described. The inlet cylinder is positioned so as to direct the-inowing streams of fluids generally away from the thermostatic coil, thus producing mixing before the fluids reach the thermostatic coll.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, now, the front member is cup-shaped to house the thermostatic element 35, this element being formed as a spiral coil.. An operating shaft 3B is rotatably mounted in the central bushing 31 of the front member, which is recessed to receive the usual packing 33 held in place by the flange nut 39 which screw threadedly seatsin the central bushingA recess. The end-l of the operating shaft is reduced slightly r. to form a shoulder d, and seats in a bore 4i of a thrust bearing member 42 provided in the back member, whereby the operating shaft and its operating parts cannot be forced down, as for example by a blow on the handle or the end of the shaft, so as to damage the valve mechanism. A radial plate 43 is pinned or otherwise secured to the shaft 36, and is bent over at its end to provide a lock plate M which is riveted or otherwise secured to the outer end of the thermostatic coil. A thimble iii is rotatably mounted cn the `shaftl 3% and is secured to the'inner end of the thermostatic element. and has an operating arrnii, preferably integral therewith, with a depending finger 58 which is positioned in the. valve groove 3d. The end' oi the operating shaftl is squared to receive a handle 49 and a pointer I or lindicator 50, whichV may cooperate with 'a graduated'temperature plate mounted as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3, 'or may be bent over to cooperate with indications on the front member such as shown in Fig. 1.

'I'he mixed fluid passes upwardly from the valve chamberth1jough the thermostatic coil, and out through the outlet chamber 5|, see Fig. 3,

. which as shown is separated from the'valve f io chamber by apartition 52.

It has been found that surge is produced where pocketsfof hot and cold water are alternately formed within the regulator. and that the above described construction prevents surge by directing most of the incoming fluid into the mixing chamber, andpermitting a small amount of the hot and the cold fluid to enterthe upper chamber. It has also been determined that better regulation-is obtained if the inlet opening for the cold water is slightly larger than the inlet opening for the hot water; although the reason for this is notclear, the experimental information obtained has indicated that the combination of three inletI pcr'ts for the cold water and two inlet ports for the hot fluid is satisfactory.

The valve mechanism described is balanced, as J. the fluid inlets dirct the flow across the valves. The valve is not therefore aected by variations -or relative differences intheI pressures of the hot and the cold fluids, as the entering streams are s nowjbe explained: g

The `handle-is rst manually turned to bring the pointer or indicator opposite the desired temperature indication; at this setting the thermostatic coil assumes a position suchv that it would be without strain, if the temperature of the mixed fluid corresponded to the temperature indication. 'Ihe hot and cold water streams entering the inlet cylinder pass radially through the inlet ports, andmixto pass'between the thermostatic coils to the outlet chamber. As will be noted from Fig. 3, the available ow space is restricted to a minimum, thus forcing, the mixed A fluid to pass through the vthermostatic coil con- ..volutions `and ,tg-) `the outlet chamber, without local eddies or disturbances'.

If the temperature of the" mixture changes from the set temperature dueto change in tem-l perature of the hot, orcold fluid', the thermostatic coil expands or contracts to shift the valve and thus vary the relative volume of hot and cold iiuid. The radial inlet;ports,lthe conical form' of the valve ends, the mixing, and the'limited flow space, result in anl instant response to tem-4 perature changes) without surging.

' If desired, a' balanced yvalve construction such as shown in-Fig. 9 may be used. In this form, the inlet chambers 53, 54 have lateral ports 55,. 56, controlled by a slide valve 5l which has two cylindrical valve sections 58, 59, the sections beifm secured by spiders to central rods 6I! which endin inner`conical portions 6| witha central groove 62 adapted to receive the operating ringer.

of the control mechanism. This construction balances the flow to the nixing chamber, and thus controls vthe-inlet areas independently of fluid pressure differences or variations.- If the pressure of the fluids is high, it may be advisable to mount stationary deflectors around the rods 60. to deflect the water away from the conical portions 6| .and ,thus eliminate side thrust of the l inowing iluids bn the valve mechanism.

- While we have described speic embodiments .of our invention, such changes in` the design, in

the proportions, and in the arrangement of the parts may be made to suit particular or special requirements for thermostaticy regulators, without departing from the spirit or the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a thermostatic regulator, a mixing chamybei', `inlets for conducting hot and cold fluid to said mixing chamber. reciprocatable valve mechanismI controlling flow from said inlets to said mixing chamber, a rotatable control shaft, a

thermostatic element xed at one end to said control shaft, vand having an element at the other end operatively con i ected to saidvalvev mechanism,`and a thrust aring engaging saidvcontrol shaft to limit movement of said control shaft and its associated mechanism towards said valve mechanism. y

2. In a thermostatic regulator, a mixing cham-l ber, inlets for conducting hot .and cold fluid to said mixing chamber, valve mechanism controlling flow from said inlets to said mixing chamber,

a rotatable control shaft,- a thermostatic element xed at one end to lsaid control shaft, and having thermostatic element secured at one end to said shaft, and having an operating element at the other end ofsaid thermostatic element rotatably mountedl on said control shaft and operatively connected to said valve mechanism, and a thrust v bearing in said back member for the end ofisaid control shaft.

4. In a thermostatic regulator, a back member having fluid inlets for.hot and cold fluid and valve -mechanism for controlling' ow, of said fluids, Vand a front member having' a control shaft,

a thermostatic element secured at one end to said shaft, and having Aan operating element at the other end of said thermostatic element rotatably mounted on said control shaft and .operatively engaging said valve (mechanism, and a thrust bearing. in said backl member for the end of said control 'shaftf 5. In a mixingvalve, a mixing chamber, an'outlet chamberl adjacent thereto and 'separated therefrom by a partition, a thermostatic chamber freely' communicating with the mixing and outlet chambers, means comprising a 'tubular conduit device having a central partition and lports on each side of said partition for conducting a hot and a cold fluid into said mixing chamber, valve mechanism for controlling the relative quantities of said fluids, and thermostatic means in said thermostatic chamber operatively controlling said valve mechanism.

andan 3 duit device for controlling the relative quantitiesof said fluids. said valve mechanism comprising conical deiiectoi'. elements positioned adjacent said p orts and inclined to direct the hot and cold iiuids from said ports towardsach other, and

thermostatic'means in said thermostatic chamber i;

operatively controlling' said valve mechanism.

FREDERICK c. LEONARD. GERMAIN Ross. 

